Meta rolls out PG-13 content restrictions for teens on Instagram amid growing safety concerns

San Francisco: Social media giant Meta announced on Tuesday a sweeping set of new safeguards for teenagers using Instagram, including default PG-13 content restrictions and stricter parental controls, in a bid to protect young users from harmful or inappropriate material.

Under the new rules, teen accounts will automatically be limited to content appropriate for a PG-13 audience — similar to what is permitted in a PG-13 movie. This means posts featuring sex, drugs, strong language, and dangerous stunts will be hidden or restricted. Teens will no longer be able to change these settings without explicit parental approval.

“This includes hiding or not recommending posts with strong language, certain risky stunts, and additional content that could encourage potentially harmful behaviours, such as posts showing marijuana paraphernalia,” Meta said in a blog post Tuesday.

Stricter parental controls and “limited content” option

In addition to the PG-13 setting, Meta is also rolling out an optional, stricter “Limited Content” setting for parents who want to enforce even tighter restrictions on what their children see. This new setting will block more content and disable the ability to leave, see, or receive comments under posts for teen accounts.

Instagram will also block teens from following or interacting with accounts that frequently post age-inappropriate content or include suggestive language or links in their bios — including links to platforms like OnlyFans. If teens already follow such accounts, access will be revoked, and these accounts will also be blocked from messaging, commenting on, or following teen users.

The PG-13 update will also apply artificial intelligence chats and experiences targeted to teens, Meta said, “meaning AIs should not give age-inappropriate responses that would feel out of place in a PG-13 movie.”

The update comes amid increasing global scrutiny of social media platforms over their role in exposing children and adolescents to harmful content. Though Meta previously pledged to filter out posts related to self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide, recent reports suggest those safeguards were not always effective.

One investigation revealed that teen accounts were still being recommended to age-inappropriate sexual content, along with graphic depictions of self-harm and damaging body image content.

In response, Meta says it is expanding blocked search terms to include broader categories such as alcohol and gore, including intentionally misspelt versions used to evade detection.